Information for patients

Many UHBristol staff are currently working to support the
research that brings increased benefits to patients, but without
our patients volunteering to take part, it would be impossible for
this research to take place. Clinical trials often need many
participants to find out which treatments are likely to be the most
effective for the majority of the population.

To participate in a particular clinical trial, a patient must
match certain criteria to be eligible for that trial. The
eligibility criteria can be very specific to ensure that any safety
issues that have been identified in a trial are adhered to. For
example, if a patient had a disease that was relevant to a
particular trial, but also had another condition in their past
medical history that would mean it wouldn't be appropriate to take
a particular medication, they would have to be excluded from the
trial for their own safety.

The first objective of any research conducted in the NHS
is to safeguard the participant

The other objectives of research are to:

Reduce treatment risks

Collect quality data to assess patient outcomes

Conduct research informed by excellent science

It is important to recognise that clinical research does not
always directly benefit the person participating. But, from patient
participation, knowledge of different conditions can be gained that
will help inform how to best treat patients in the future.